“Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Karl Lagerfeld left his mark on the legend of Gabrielle Chanel and the history of the House of Chanel," said Bruno Pavlovsky, the President of Fashion at Chanel. "He steadfastly promoted the talent and expertise of Chanel’s ateliers and Métiers d’Art, allowing this exceptional know-how to shine throughout the world. The greatest tribute we can pay today is to continue to follow the path he traced by — to quote Karl — ‘continuing to embrace the present and invent the future’."

To honour his passing, we show you six of the most magnificent runway sets that this creative genius had ever worked on.

1. Feminist protest at Boulevard Chanel, S/S’15

Photo: Showbit

Karl took to the streets of Paris for Chanel S/S’15, where the hallowed grounds of Grand Palais was transformed into Boulevard Chanel.

Initially, nothing seemed out-of-the-norm. Models decked in the maison's iconic tweed strutted their stuff down the runway — which was very standard for a runway show. It was only till the finale that the message Karl was trying to translate across became clear: The protest to safeguard the feminist voice.

Cara Delevingne led the rebellion, calling out “Come on!” to incite the commotion, while the other models became freedom fighters, toting feminist signboards (like “LADIES FIRST”) and chanting phrases as part of this revolt.

“I don't see why every human being is not on the same level,” Karl told Vogue. “Especially in my business,” he continued.

2. Shopping at Chanel’s supermarket, F/W’14

Photo: Showbit

Some may argue that fashion should stem from the notion of practicality. But for Karl, it isn’t. Well, not at least when he decided to send his muse (à la Cara Delevingne) and a bevy of models down a supermarket themed runway whilst dressed in designer garbs for Chanel’s F/W’14 show.

What impressed us was his witty analogy towards the saying of “Who said you can’t look and be stylish at any point in time?”

Juxtaposing the raw aspect of everyday life (in this case, it’s grocery shopping) with luxury clothes, if there’s one thing you could take away from this show, it should be Karl’s eye for colour curation and detail.

Another immaculate set that took over Grand Palais was The Brasserie Gabrielle, where Karl took inspiration from the prominent French cafe culture.

From the opulent classicism interior to the leather upholstery, and even down to the little details like the champagne flutes and croissants, everything exuded what Paris was in Karl’s eyes: Cool, nonchalant and elegant. Nothing fell short when he was translating this French way of living.

After all, he had "a vision of France from a stranger who thinks France is not that bad," the late fashion maven told Vogue.

4. The enchanted forest, F/W’18

Photo: Showbit

We can’t blame you if you weren’t sure if this show was held at Grand Palais, or at the outskirts of Bois de Boulogne.

For Chanel’s F/W’18, Karl conjured an entire forest (yup, you heard us right) into the historical Parisian site, where the breathtaking panoramic backdrop set the scene for the mysterious and sultry French mood.

“I’ve always loved autumn. This is a kind of Indian summer, with all the leaves. It’s a beautiful mood,” he told Vogue his inspiration for the set design. “I was brought up in the country, on an estate which had 12 allées [of trees] going from the house.”

Though there was no concrete evidence that Karl had made this subtle innuendo at the S/S'19 show, we didn't believe that it was a complete coincidence. We felt his respect for women: By providing them an escapism from the harsh, unfair and bitter reality. After all, our first point proves his notion on being pro-feminist. Kudos to you, Karl.

From the copious injection of gold to the Sphinx and not to forget, the enchanting 10 B.C. Temple of Dendur (phew, no mummies!), everything screamed "Queen Nefertiti". Though this set may pale in comparison to The Brasserie Gabrielle or the enchanting forest, what we really love about this show is the rugged appearance of the moat. In other words, Karl was all about intricacy.

When ancient Egypt meets modern New York

It was like going back in time to ancient Egypt while in modern New York.

Held at the Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, Karl Lagerfeld transported everyone to an ancient time with Chanel’s pre-fall 2019 Métiers d’Art show. But the collection was far from old school.

But no points for guessing the inspiration for this collection though: The choice location of the Temple of Dendur is reflective of the inspiration taken from the ancient Egyptian culture. The temple pays homage to the union between mythological gods Isis and Osiris.

The opulent use of rich golds, scarab beetles and plastron collars all point to the influences from the ancient culture, while graffitied designs and denim jackets aimed to recreate the energy of the Big Apple.

Soft suiting, which combines a structured blazer with a soft, flowy dress, continues to be a trend into 2019. But if you prefer a more shapely silhouette, go with a longline jacket that hugs the waist and fits the form.

One quick way to amp up a look is add accessories. In this case, Chanel added a statement belt and plastron collar that not only cinches the waist but also adds width to the shoulders to create an hourglass shape.

The sheath dress, or the kalasiris, was an integral part of ancient Egypt’s women’s fashion. With embellished details and a simple buckle belt, Chanel’s take on the kalasiris is utterly wearable for the modern woman. The jumper-like quality also makes the dress great for work.

When it comes to colour-blocking and trimming details, it is often difficult to find a piece that will flatter the body. With this dress, Karl masterfully uses gold trim, prints and solid black to create a figure-hugging silhouette that emphasises the shoulders to create a glamazon-esque look.

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